Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, in a joint press briefing with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday, commended him for "the incredibly valuable role that Pakistan is playing" in the Gulf, extending wishes of success "because if you succeed, it's good for all of us." Discussing regional and international developments, Balakrishnan noted, "We know there's the current crisis in the Gulf, and in fact most of the energy that comes through the Gulf is actually headed to the east, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and to Northeast Asia." He stated that in this regard, Pakistan played a "unique but very constructive and valuable role" which he praised. Pakistan is a ​key mediator between the US and ⁠Iran. Its earlier mediation efforts with ​both parties resulted in an interim peace agreement ​signed in June but which has quickly faltered, amid new fighting between Iran and ​the US weeks after. Further, Balakrishnan noted that for both Pakistan and Singapore, "international law is critical." He stated that Singapore was "an island city-state," with a trade volume three times its GDP, making the maritime arena essential for the state. He highlighted the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, underscoring the freedom of navigation and overflight, "especially in straits used for international navigation," which he said was "a right and not by the grace of littoral powers." Balakrishnan added, "This is of acute importance to us, and we are very heartened that Pakistan stands in exactly the same position on this critical issue with us." Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 held a Joint Press Stakeout with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Singapore, H.E. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan (30 October 2026) pic.twitter.com/7mdUOohbxB — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 FM Dar, addressing the briefing, said bilateral discussions had covered "the impact of regional tensions and maritime trade," highlighting secure sea routes and uninterrupted supply chains as "essential to trade and economic stability." Dar also noted that Pakistan reaffirmed the "central role of dialogue and diplomacy, respect for international law and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter in addressing regional and global challenges," stating that Islamabad "remains engaged with key regional and international partners to encourage continued dialogue and diplomacy as this remains the only viable means to resolve outstanding challenges." The foreign minister also noted that he "expressed concern over the continued expansion of illegal settlements and efforts to alter the status of the West Bank and Al-Quds Al-Sharif," adding that he "stressed the urgent need for unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza." Dar stated that he "reiterated firm support for an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous state of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, which is a stated policy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan." He also said he briefed his Singaporean counterpart "on the importance of a just, durable and peaceful settlement of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions." Singaporean FM highlights three areas of cooperation The Singaporean foreign minister highlighted trade and economic cooperation as the first of three areas "where we're working furiously to get the homework done." He noted that Pakistan and Singapore shared "excellent ties" at the diplomatic level, saying that "in fact, they are so good that it makes it even more obvious that our trade relations, and looking at the numbers and the data, ought to be much higher." Balakrishnan noted that the two countries had to "facilitate greater trade and investment flows, strengthen the links, especially between SMEs, between businessmen," whom he said had to meet. "They need to know each other, they need to understand the business opportunities and the risks on both sides in Southeast Asia as well as South Asia," he said. On the part of the governments, Balakrishnan noted that in order to facilitate these interactions and "to identify new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation," it was increasingly important "for our two countries to remain open, connected, and constructively engaged with each other." Further, he stated that he and Dar had also discussed the carbon markets, "which we think is another fertile opportunity for Singapore and Pakistan to work together." The foreign minister termed this "another promising avenue to attract investments into projects in Pakistan that reduce emissions while supporting sustainable development," saying that Pakistani and Singaporean officials were exploring opportunities in the area. The second area of cooperation laid out by Balakrishnan was regarding disaster management. "We just exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] between the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority," he said, adding that the move reflected "our shared commitment to strengthen disaster preparedness and the response." Read: FM Dar, Chinese envoy discuss CPEC progress The foreign minister noted that "at the rate things are going and with the progression of climate change, this is a current and clear threat." He highlighted the role of cooperation in the area, saying that "the more we can work together and prepare together, the more resilient we will be." Balakrishnan also stated that Pakistan had "extensive experience in responding to large-scale natural disasters, including floods and other extreme weather events," saying "there is much that Singapore can learn from Pakistan in how to cope and how to be more resilient for the future." The foreign minister expressed hope that through the MoU, cooperation in areas including early warning systems, the sharing of best practices, strengthening search and rescue capabilities, and conducting joint training and exercises may be undertaken. "It's again worth remembering that disasters do not respect boundaries, do not have passports, and the more we can work together, the better," he said. The third area of cooperation, Balakrishnan said, was people-to-people ties, highlighting the role of education in this regard. "We welcome the opportunities to deepen cooperation between our institutes of higher learning which include the Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore with Pakistan's National University of Science and Technology," he said. He emphasised that "this is just the beginning," expressing hope that the list would be expanded in due time. Discussing educational opportunities, Balakrishnan noted, "We are living in an age of a new industrial revolution, AI and the digital technologies," arguing that it was "essential to ensure that our young people have the relevant skills, not for yesterday's jobs, but for tomorrow's jobs." FM Dar, meanwhile, stated that he and Balakrishnan "agreed to encourage closer engagement between our business communities through exchange of business delegations and stronger links between our chambers of commerce in order to facilitate stronger business-to-business ties." He shared that the two also discussed the reopening of the Pakistan Trade and Investment Office at the Pakistan High Commission in Singapore. The reopening, he said, "is a testament of Pakistan's resolve to promote stronger B2B ties with Singapore." Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 and Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan addressed a Joint Press Stakeout at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/liOQ1G7N6i — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 Beyond trade and investment, FM Dar noted that the parties "discussed the scope for closer cooperation in education, research and innovation, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence," adding that they also "agreed to deepen cooperation in human resource development, agriculture and climate domains." Further, he shared that the parties agreed to "encourage greater cultural, academic, youth and people-to-people exchanges." They also "discussed the possible resumption of direct flights to facilitate business, travel and close contact between our peoples," Dar said. Highlighting Pakistan's engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "as its oldest sectoral dialogue partner," the foreign minister stated that Islamabad "attaches great importance to practical cooperation with the organisation and its member states." Balakrishnan highlights bilateral ties The Singaporean foreign minister, discussing bilateral ties with Pakistan, stated that it was one of the earliest countries to recognise Singapore's independence. "And that's why we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties," he said. He noted that over the years, there had been high-level exchanges at the leadership level "sometimes all over the world, not often enough in our own home countries." He noted that "more important than that, we've had opportunities for a substantive and productive exchange of views," sharing that Pakistan and Singapore remained in constant communication, "far more than people realise; that we have a very effective partnership." Regarding Singapore's forthcoming chairmanship of ASEAN next year, Balakrishnan noted that Pakistan was already the chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, which he said would "present another set of opportunities for these two regional blocs to look for opportunities together." The Singaporean foreign minister said Islamabad had remained a sectoral dialogue partner, adding, "We're going to look for opportunities for Pakistan to do more with ASEAN, and I think the horizon is very broad on that front." Meanwhile, FM Dar said the two officials in their meeting "recognised the considerable untapped potential in our relationship and stressed the importance of sustained engagement." He noted that the parties agreed to hold regular bilateral political consultation and promote high-level exchanges to strengthen cooperation between the respective governments and institutions. PM Shehbaz, Singapore FM discuss promotion of bilateral trade, investment Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met Balakrishnan, discussing ways to increase bilateral trade and investment and expand cooperation in "priority areas" including the digital economy, fintech, infrastructure development, logistics, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the services sector, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. According to the PMO, the two leaders also "discussed exploring new avenues for mutually beneficial economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people contacts." PM Shehbaz "praised Singapore's remarkable economic transformation and its achievements in the field of innovation and development," stating that Pakistan "values its partnership with Singapore at the bilateral level," as well as through ASEAN and at multilateral levels. Further, the premier reiterated Pakistan's resolve to strengthen its longstanding and friendly relations with Singapore, the PMO said. It added that the two leaders also "exchanged views on regional and international developments and reiterated their resolve to continue cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums." Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, today. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening its longstanding and friendly relations with Singapore,… pic.twitter.com/2yBD3J0juU — Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) October 30, 2026 Earlier in the day, Dar exchanged an MoU with Balakrishnan on cooperation in disaster management, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said. In a statement on X, MoFA noted that the MoU was between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore's Civil Defence Force (SCDF). "The MoU reflects the shared commitment of Pakistan and Singapore to strengthening cooperation in disaster preparedness and response and building resilience against natural disasters," MoFA said. Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 and Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster… pic.twitter.com/0ethw7hiPv — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 FM Dar had earlier held a meeting with Balakrishnan, discussing ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity and skills development while promoting business-to-business exchanges and people-to-people contacts, MoFA said. It added that the "two ministers reviewed the longstanding and friendly relations between Pakistan and Singapore as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations." It further noted that FM Dar and Balakrishnan also "underscored the importance of sustained high-level exchanges." The foreign ministers "also discussed cooperation at multilateral fora and Pakistan’s enhanced engagement with ASEAN, particularly in the context of Singapore’s forthcoming Chairmanship in 2027," MoFA noted. It added that the two exchanged views on regional and global developments, with FM Dar emphasising "the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes and advancing lasting peace and stability." Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 held a cordial meeting with H.E. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. The two Ministers reviewed the… pic.twitter.com/dzsRVhdZCK — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 FM Dar had received Balakrishnan earlier in the day, with the two leaders set to hold a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks to review "the entire spectrum of Pakistan–Singapore relations," MoFA said. In a statement on X, it added that the leaders would also "exchange views on regional and global developments." H.E. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore, was received by Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today. The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting and… pic.twitter.com/1RlT6R49mo — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 Balakrishnan arrived in Islamabad for "comprehensive talks" with FM Dar "on the cooperation in bilateral and multilateral domains," MoFA said. In a statement posted on X, MoFA noted that Balakrishnan was received at the airport by director general, East Asia Pacific, undertaking the visit on the invitation of FM Dar. At the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar , H.E Dr. Vivian Balakirshnan Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore arrived in Islamabad today. He was received at the airport by Director General East Asia Pacific. During the… pic.twitter.com/ns51OHdpu1 — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 30, 2026 A day earlier, MoFA had announced that Balakrishnan would undertake an official visit to Islamabad. The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Singapore and came ahead of Singapore’s assumption of the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027. MoFA had added that during Balakrishnan's visit, he and FM Dar would hold bilateral talks covering the full spectrum of Pakistan-Singapore relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. Read More: FM Dar meets MJDA secretary general, underscores defence pact's importance for regional peace "A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in disaster management between Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Singapore’s Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will also be exchanged," it added. The ministry also noted that Balakrishnan would call on Pakistan’s leadership during his visit. "Pakistan and Singapore maintain cordial bilateral relations based on mutual respect and longstanding friendship. The visit underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to deepening and diversifying their bilateral partnership," MoFA said.